Firefighter  Parental Roy fic
by kataangkissed
Summary: Currently on possible permanent hiatus.   Roy works in the fire department, when he is called to a huge house blaze with kids trapped inside. Now four years later the scars have not healed and he searches for the child he saved.
1. Chapter 1

The squeak of the boots, the sweat on the mens back, the yelling and panic, the rush, the petrol and himself running towards to truck. They where all crammed in, yelling commands getting their gear on. Running against the time, the bell was ringing. They had to go. "Now!" The alarms went of and they sped along the roads, cars and people alike moving away. Kids pointing, cheering, yelling. But all where ignored, everyone was getting ready for whatever they would see when they reached the house. As they reached the bumpy country road they knew they would be there soon. They dashed along the roads, scaring cows and sheep. They could see it now, the smoke they could feel it in the air. It was choking and smelt of destruction. Going up the last hill they could see the house, it was large and must of once been very nice, but now it was flaming red and was surrounded in smoke. They could hear the timbers inside snapping and the bursts of the flames spreading.

Everyone leaped out of the fire truck running towards the back, pulling out the hoses an buckets. Together they all ran forwards, spraying the house. Inside they could hear children's screams. The air was thick, and someone thumped him on the back wishing him well. I began to run towards one of the front windows and heaved my body against it. I smashed into what I guess what the living room, looking around I tried to work out where the children where trapped. They began to scream again and I ran towards the stairs. They where on fire, everything burning. I reached out, my anti-spark glove red from the glow. I clicked and the flames around the stairs began to slowly disappear. Carefully I made my way up, jumping over the missing steps in the staircase. Reaching the top I yelled out to the kids, one was trapped in the door right to my left and two others somewhere else on the right of the house. I tried to open the door on my left, finding it stuck I broke it down. The room I entered was completely alight. There where books everywhere, all on fire. In the corner a small child was trapped under a fallen bookcase. Running over I removed the flames and pulled the bookcase away from the small child. It was a girl, with blonde hair and blue eyes, she was barely conscious and was crying.

Pulling her up from the floor I ran back out into the landing, running to the smashed window facing the front of the house. I used my elbow to clear some of the shards from the edge and yelled out to the men below. They where ready, their arms out holding a blanket to catch the girl with. She was out cold now, she had breathed in too much smoke. I threw her out onto the blanket below where the medics took care of her.

Running towards the right of the house I heard one of the small crying. The smoke was so thick now making it hard to breath. I beat down the flames, watching them vanish in front of me. Making a path towards the room where I could hear the crying. I jumped over the fallen tables, broken vases. This must of once been a lovely house. I ran into the open door, seeing a young boy crying close to the door frame on my left and across the room... That sight will never leave me, nor the older boy next to me. The other was on the floor screaming and crying out, reaching for his older brother. The stench of burning flesh surrounded me as I ran to the child. He was reaching out for something, he didn't even look alive any more. I clicked my fingers, forcing the flames away from the poor child. Pulling him up into my arms, I realized he was almost dead. He had no weight to him and I knew if I tried his flesh would come away from his skin. I turned and saw the other child's face, his golden eyes scared and covered in tears. He reached out to touch his younger brother, but pulled away before he could. He shivered despite the heat of the flames around us, and he held onto my coat. I guided him across the landing, while trying to keep a hold of the other child.

Reaching the window he saw the men below waiting for the other child. He looked down at the younger one in his arms, there was no way he could be thrown down. He looked at the older one, his golden haired head buried in his coat. Gently he pushed him towards the window. He looked up afraid, shaking his head. He was staring at his brother, burned and unconscious. I pushed him forwards again, go! He climbed onto the window frame and cried as he jumped. Screaming he fell and was caught by the men below. I ran away from the window, I had to get this other child out now!

The stairs where completely gone, only a blankend pile of wood was there now. I ran back to to window, yelling for help. The fire was spreading towards me and I could not force it back with the child in my arms. The men ran towards the truck pulling the ladder. Not fast enough! I climbed up onto the frame gripping with one hand, the other shifting the child onto the shoulder.

The flames where licking the floor behind me and the men ran with the ladder. I stood on the frame, carefully making my was across. The wood was rotten, it was going to snap! I slid across, trying to grab the drain pipes above my head but the movement cracked the wood. I screamed and felt the wood falling away, I held both hands to the burnt child trying to protect him from the fall. But I knew it was too late. He was not breathing, the wounds where to horrific. I knew his life had left him but I still held him close. His brother needed him alive. I had let him down. Falling I saw the house, everything alight. These poor children had nothing. Nothing at all. With that I hit the ground and heard the sicking snap of my spine. Then everything went black.

Gasping I shot up from my bed, looking around. Just a dream I told myself, but I knew it was real. The room was dark and as always I was all alone. I touched my back slowly, feeling the stitches the scars from when I fell. That was four years ago now. I looked at my clock, midnight. It was four years ago exactly since that fire, since then I had put out many more but that was the one that always stuck in my mind. Two of the kids didn't make it, the other I have no idea about. It was the older brother, he lived but was badly traumatized from what I heard. As was I, his younger brother was announced dead as soon as they pulled him away from my broken body. I was in hospital for half a year, but I have never fully recovered. I only work with dealing with fires from the outside. I have not been in a burning building since that day.

Looking out the window I saw the darkness, and wondered where the older brother was now. I never even learnt his name. Maybe he got adopted? I knew his farther had left them behind years ago and that their mother had passed away recently as well. With the fire as well his life must be hell. I want to protect him. For these past for years I have searched but no one knows anything about him. That has to end today I need to find him again. He must be so lonely. Laying down I saw him again, his eyes crying from fear. His small arms wrapped around my body. He looked around 7 maybe 8 years old. He must be 12 now, much too young to have seen all that. Yes, today I will find him. I have to.

Walking out of my room I walked to the downstairs of my house. I can still remember his stairs burning. I walked into my living room and searched under the sofa for the book I needed. I rubbed my hands past the dust and empty alcohol bottle underneath reaching for it's thick pages. Grabbing it I pulled it out, I had never really had to use this before. Flicking though the pages, it had information on every business in central. I skipped straight to the O pages. Orphanage. There they where, a list of them. There where so many! I never knew there where so many children with no one to care for them out there. I pulled the pages out related to them and got a pen. Looking at them I crossed out the ones that where impossible for him to have been at. He was not a girl, and was not blind, nor deaf. I doubted the fire had done that to him. Okay, now the list was narrowed down I pulled a map from my bookcase.

I began to but circles around the orphanages on the map and made a route that would allow me to visit every one. It would take all day, and perhaps into the night but he would do what ever it took. He began to jot down what he knew about the boy. His old address, the age range he would be in now, his golden hair and eyes. About his family's past and about the fire. With this he should be able to find him. He packed it all into a rucksack along with some cash, junk food and a small amount of whiskey. He truly hoped he would not need that. Going back upstairs he checked his clock, all this had taken him a hour. He lay down on his bed. He was going to need all the rest he could get for tomorrow.

The alarm on his clock went of and jumped up. No dreams. He had had no dreams since last waking up, the last time that had happened was... years ago. He quickly got dressed in normal clothes and phoned up the fire station to tell him he couldn't work today. He told them he was sick, but they knew the truth. Every years since that day he had taken work off. Usually he just layed in his bed all day, thinking about it. But not this time. Getting his rucksack he ran out the door and climbed into his car. It slowly started up and he checked his map. First stop was Rapeseed orphanage, it was rather close only a mile or so away.

As he drove, he saw many kids going to school together, or with their parents. That golden haired boy could be doing the same right now. He tried to concentrate on the road. He was getting close now, he looked at every building on the row, there where a few shops, some housed and a big building with kids in the yard. That had to be it. He pulled up outside and ran in. The woman at the desk looked a bit alarmed to see him charge it. Walking up to her he showed her the piece of paper with the info about the boy on. She frowned at it and looked up.

"Do you have a boy, matching this description? I haven't seen him in four years now so it might not be all correct." She read it carefully before replying. "We have a few blonde boys here and I think we might have some on our records. Shall I do a search for you?" He smiled, trying to let the stress out. "Yes that would be a big help, thank you." He looked around the room, kids drawings where stuck everywhere and toys covered most of the floor. The woman was sorting though a filing cabinet when she coughed.

"If I could please, why are you looking for such a child?" The question shocked him. He had never thought they would ask, but of course they would. She couldn't just give info about these kids away freely. "Oh." He scratched his head, embarrassed under her glare. "I- I work at a fire station, and helped him years ago. I wanted to find out what happened after all he has been though." She smiled and kept on looking. "Thats so kind of you, I hope you do find him!" She pulled several files out and showed them to him. "Now none of these have any pasts like you mentioned however this one child, we don't know much about as he was moved here today. Would you like to meet him?" He looked at the file, there wasn't much on him. No photo, or history. Just his name. "Yes, is that okay?" She smiled and led him into the hallway past the door.

There where many rooms and he could hear lots of kids inside. She began talking to a woman who was holding a child by her hand. Bending down he smiled at her, he wasn't the best with kids but he had to show he wasn't some pedophile.

"Hi, whats your name?" She shyly smiled behind the womans leg. "I like your dress." She grinned then and stroked it. "I am Elicia! Do you really like my dress?" He nodded. "I really do. So Elicia do you like living here?" She looked at him and then giggled. "Don't be silly! I don't live here, my mummy just helps here!" She looked up at the woman who was smiling at them. "Well your mummy is a very good person then!" He stood up straight and nodded at her.

"Okay, the boy you might be looking for is upstairs. Ready to meet him?" Nodding he walked up with her. Everything was so messy here, would his house look like this if he adopted the boy? Wait don't be stupid, he might not want to come home with me. He might already have a home. This might not be him. She pointed at a door on the left of the landing. "He is in here, he really loved painting. We can rarely get him out of this room." She pulled open the door and they walked in to see a young blonde boy painting.

* * *

Okay, this is something me and my sister made up together and is based on a real story I am not going to tell you all of it as it would give the plot away but here is part of it.

When I was 12 years old my house burned. My parents and little sister died in the fire. One month ago, exactly 4 years after the fire, a young man came to visit me in the orphanage. It was the fireman that saved me.

I have changed it a lot to make this work but it had to make a fic with it. Anyway pleased with how this is coming out, so many words! o_o Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

I walked over slowly to the young blonde. He was completely absorbed in his work, a painting of a beautiful woman with long black hair. The secretary kneeled down next to him and put a arm on his hand. He jumped and looked at her.

"Oh. I didn't hear you come in. I was..." He looked back at the painting, I couldn't see his face from here but I could tell he was crying. She gently stroked him and and smiled . "It's okay to be sad, I know you miss her a lot." He nodded and looked back at the painting, I still couldn't see his face. I struggled to remember his mother, almost all the photos where burned so we knew next to nothing about his family. Was this her? Suddenly he span around and was looking at me with his green eyes. Green? The boy I was looking for eyes where a goldenly glow, not green. This boy had a scar along his nose and big eyebrows. It, It wasn't him. "Hello?" He looked scared, the woman looked at me as well and I realised I was making a horrid face. I smiled and walked over. Unsurprisingly he tried to shuffle away.

"It's okay honey, he was looking for a boy. He met him... four years ago was it?" I nodded unable to speak. How stupid was I, expecting to find him on my first attempt! I would be lucky if I ever found him. "He is a fireman see, and he is looking for a boy he saved. Did you ever get in a fire?" She was being kind but he could see the question scared him. He looked me straight int he eyes and coughed.

"No. I have no idea who he is. Goodbye." He began painting again, ignoring the woman who tried again to catch his attention. "Thank you for talking to me, I really do like your painting." He frowned at my words, but carried painting. Leaving the room the woman sighed.

"Sorry about that. He is shy to attention, especially with males. We know he was abused by his farther at one point, but the rest is unknown until we receive his papers. Do you think that might of been him?" I looked at her sweet face, she obviously wished he was, and truthfully I did as well. He needed a nice home. It looked like he had a tough time but he still wasn't who I was after.

"Sorry. I don't think it is, the boy I am looking for had golden eyes." There was a moment of awkward silence. "Ah. I see, well no problem. I don't think we have anyone else like that through here then. Sorry. Is that all you came here for?" She looked hopefully sad, she already knew the answer. Shaking my head she showed me the way back downstairs. The child was gone, and the hallway empty of people. Walking away with the building I waved at the woman, she gave a bittersweet wave back. Sighing I climbed into the car and crossed this orphanage off the map.

Fucking hell. How many times would he have to do this! There where only a few more places left on his map. No one had heard of him at all. He found many that might of looked like him to other people. But they where wrong, they where nothing like the boy he was looking for. Their eyes where different, the hair, the expression, their hearts. He opened the bag and slowly felt the whiskey, oh how he wanted it. This day was bad enough but if he failed and did not find him. No. He would find him. Gradually he let the small bottle slip out of his hands into the bag. He grabbed the map tried to find the next spot, this one was right out there in the countryside. Apparently a good place for loonys he really hoped he wasn't in there. He didn't deserve that at all and if he was it would make adoption harder to go through.

Pulling up into the drive I saw the shattered windows and broken bottles. The whole place was a dump, and reeked of rot. I walked up the steps towards the front to see teenagers snorting something around the corner. Seeing me they stuck their fingers up and sniggered, please say he was not in this dump.

Walking up to the desk a spotty teenage girl yelled for someone in the back.

"Merrline! MERRLINE! WE GOT SOME GUY HERE!" The woman, who he assumed was Merrline came out and wacked her over the head with her newspaper. "I heard you the first time. No need to scream!" She looked him over and grinned. She was tubby and reeked of drugs and booze. "What can I do you for? Want to rent out one of our girls or me?" She let her hands rub down her bulging body. I felt sick, what kind of orphanage is this! Coughing he shook his head.

"I came in search of a boy." Nodding she pulled her bra up. "Into boys, I getcha. What you after big or small?" I almost choked, slamming my hand down on the desk I glared into her grey eyes. They where blood shot and barely viewable over her giant unibrow. "I want to adopt him." She straightened up a bit and took the paper from my hands. As she read she lit a cigarette, puffing out she nodded. "We got one like him. A bit on the small side. You can have him. He is a pain in the ass and never takes on our clients." Shaking her head she walked out from behind the desk giving me a full view of her stumpy legs which had been crammed into fishnet stockings. She wove her hand towards a door on my right and hobbled in.

We where in what looked like a living room. The sofa's where trashed and the stuffing was coming out. The tv was outdated and cracked, there was no carpet on the floor. Other then me and Merrline there was no one there. She walked right over to a cobard door and pulled a boy out from inside. He was small with golden hair and when he looked up golden eyes. Gasping I saw his grimy face, covered in cuts and bruises and mud marks. One looking a lot like a boot print. His closes where baggy and ripped and I watched as he tried to kick away from us.

"You sorry yet?" Murrline pulled his hair and breathed out smoke into his face. "Been in there a good hour now. He was caught trying to escape." Shaking her head she threw the boy towards me. He slipped over the rubbish and we both landed on the floor. Jumping up he spat in her direction.

"Normally I would shove you right back in there but he want you." His eyes shot wide open and he span around to glare at me. "No. Not that way, at least not now. He wants to take you home. Ya got your freedom back." She walked away leaving us alone, I stood up and offered my hand. He spat on it.

"Bugger off. Your not gonna have me. I would rather rot then become some bastards sex slave!" I jumped away at those words. What the hell, how long had he been in this dump? It seemed like he hadn't given himself up yet but they had been trying.

"What is your name?" I spoke softly, I didn't want to upset him but it had the opposite effect. "Fuck off man! You perv don't speak to me that way!" He backed away from me throwing down a already broken table between us. "No way am I like gonna tell you!" Sighing I sat on the edge of a manky sofa and held my hands up in a surrender.

"I am not here to have sex with you nor would I ever want to." I shuddered at the thought. "I was wondering did you ever get into a fire... Four years ago today?" He stopped trying to back away and stared at me. I saw his eyes change to fear. "No. No no no no!" He shook his head and covered up his ears. "No. No. No! Go away!" I walked over to him and took his hands away. He looked up as the tears rolled down his cheeks. "You... Your him. The guy who threw me out of the window." His arms darted out and he pulled himself towards me chest. He was crying still and mumbling into my chest. I hugged him back and he pulled away.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." All I could see where those golden eyes, framed with tears and longing for love.

"Come on, you are coming home with me."

We walked out of the building hand in hand, passing a amused Merriline. We walked down the steps ignoring the teens who tried to get our attention. I pulled him into my car and buckled him up tightly. His hand found mine on the clasp and I saw he was smiling. Smiling at me.

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New chapter! Thanks so much for the reviews and faves! I am sorry this chapter is shorter, I will try to update again soon! Really sorry if this came up twice for anyone I had problems uploading. Anyway the full story and a link to the site as well. :3

My parents and little sister died in the fire. One month ago, exactly 4 years after the fire, a young man came to visit me in the orphanage.

It was the fireman that saved me. He had been looking for me all these years, because he wanted to adopt me.

Now I have a father again. Roy, your LGMH.

lovegivesmehope. com /view/Love/21323


	3. Chapter 3

We drove in complete silence, he seemed absorbed watching the buildings pass by. Every now and again his eyes darted to me thinking I couldn't see him. He seemed to be looking me over and I could tell he wanted to ask me something. But he seemed almost... scared to? I hawked catching his attention. "So what is you name?" This was so awkward, he looked shocked.

"Um... Edward. Edward Elr- Oh!" He looked at me with his wide eyes. Man they where distracting. "Whats wrong?" He fiddled with his hands frowning.

"My name... Are you going to change it? Or can I like keep it..?" I never thought about it. Edward seemed right for him. His little scrunched up face didn't reveal much as to what he was thinking.

"Not unless you want it changed. I don't mind, but I think Edward fits you." I kept one eye on the road and one on him. He looked out the window again and nodded. "Yeah.. I like it. Can I keep my last name as well then?"

"Sure, what was it again?" He smiled then. "Elric, Edward Elric." He seemed so proud of his name. Shit, I was gonna crash at this rate. He was too distracting. I pulled over on a shopping street. Edward looked around, confused. "Would you like to get something to eat?" His golden eyes glowed at the mention of food. "You like burgers?" He frowned undoing his belt.

"I... I think so." Oh right, he must not of gotten much freedom in that place. I remembered the cupboard he was locked in. Getting out the car I opened his door and locked up. He followed quickly behind me, looking around at the shops. Going into the burger place he grinned, such a lovely smile he had. Shaking my head I ordered for both of us, and took the food to the table. I watched as he unwrapped his burger from the paper. Taking a big he moaned. "Mmmmm!" I watched him devour the whole thing in a few bites. He looked up to me with puppy eyes after more.

"Here have mine." I watched as he snatched it away and dug in. We would have to work a bit on his manners. Pausing he put the burger down and looked at me.

"So.. Your name is?" He struggled on the words and I blinked. Right my name. How could I forget to tell him! "Roy. Roy mustang." Nodding he picked the seeds off the bun and ate them one by one.

"Are you still... you know a fireman?" He kept his head down, hair covering his face. Pick pick, pick, picking the bun. "Yeah, I work from keeping the flames from getting too big and all that." He nodded and rubbed his elbow softly.

"So like. What made you come for me?" His face was hidden but I could hear the sad note in his voice. "Four years ago it was." My hands shook. I could of and should of found him by now. I knew I had no reason not to, just fear. After seeing his brother, burned and black I was afraid he would blame me for it.

"I couldn't forget it. Or you. That was not the worst fire I have been in. But you kids, I couldn't save all of-" I broke off shaking my head. I held his shaking hand, and brushed away his hair. As I thought he was crying. "I am so sorry Edward. I just couldn't do any more for your brother or sister." He nodded, tears slipping down onto the table.

"Thank you." He was smiling now, looking into my onyx eyes. "For everything." He looked over at the counter. "Could I get something else?" I was about to object but looking down I realized he has already eaten the other burger. Nodding I gave him 4000 cez and looked out of the window. I saw a reflection Edward walk away from me. Flames surrounded him and he slipped, skin melting like plastic. His bones snapping and his small frame hitting the floor. I spun around to see him coming back, he was fine. No fire, no melting skin. I looked at the tray of food he placed on our table.

Ice cream, cola, another burger, fries, chicken nuggets, fried chicken and a wrap. He tucked right into the already melting ice cream. "Are you sure you will eat all that?" He nodded dropping the change on the table. Only a few cez. Hmm. I looked him up and down thinking of the costs. I had more then enough to look after him, but he really had nothing but the clothes he was wearing and those where too scruffy for him to wear much longer.

"Right, after this we have to get you some new clothes, and some other stuff." He stopped eating and tugged at his long sleeved shirt. "You can pick out what ever you want, don't worry." He smiled and carried on eating. Wait, what! Most of the food was already gone. Where did he keep it all! If he carried on like this he was going to be fat and run me bankrupt. Rubbing his mouth he cracked his knuckles. Then I realized something else about him. He was wearing gloves, how did I not see that before?

"Okay, I am full! Shall we go?" Getting up he followed me as we went into the clothes shop. "Right what age range clothes do you need?" I asked him. His face blushed and he frowned. He walked over to the 11-13 range and began poking the clothes awkwardly. "Get what ever you want. Just make sure you have enough." I watched him pick out the clothes, mostly trouser's and long sleeved shirts.

"Don't you want any T-shirt's or something for when it is hot?" He looked over at the cooler clothes frowning. Shaking his head he walked away looking for something else.

"Whats wrong?" Scratching the back of his head he gave me what he had picked out so far. "Ah... Nothing." I shrugged made sure he had everything. "Want to try them on?" His eyes went wide as he shook his head fast. "Sure? I want to make sure the fit-"

"No! I- They will okay." He walked over to the till and I bought the clothes in silence. He was still looking around for something else. "Edward, is there something else you want?" His breath hitched and he nodded. "Um... Gloves." He mumbled so quietly I had to bend down to hear him.

"Gloves?" He nodded, his face red again. Why did he need gloves, it was summer! "Okay I will see what I can do." Asking the woman she frowned.

"Gloves? I am not sure.. We might have some in the back. Let me go check." She walked away looking confused. Edward was hiding behind his hair again when she came back with several pairs.

"This is all we have. Is this okay?" Edward looked them over and nodded. "Could... Could I have them all please?" He looked at me pleadingly, I nodded and the confused cashier rung them up.

We spent the rest of the day like this, jumping for store to store getting everything Edward needed. By the end out it we both collapsed into the car. "I never want to go shopping again." He mumbled into the car dashboard. "You can say that again." I groaned, starting up the car. As we drove Edward looked in all the bags in the back pulling out doughnuts and cookies. "Where did you get those from!" He snickered ripping the packaging off the doughnut's and biting into the jammy center.

"When we where at that corner shop getting toothpaste and squash." He tried to say, but most of it I was unable to understand as he was eating the doughnuts like there was no tomorrow. When he had polished them off he tried to open the cookies, which I snatched from him and threw in the back of the car.

"Hey! I was gonna eat those!" He yelled, reaching to try and get them back. He couldn't half be noisy when he wanted to. "I know, but all you have eaten today is junk food. Eat something decent when we get home. We will be there soon." He stopped trying to retrieve the junk food and looked out of the window but as it was getting rather dark now, there was nothing to see. Only his reflection. As soon a I parked up he jumped out and began to look around the place. I had parked in the drive and he walked around my house. No, our house. Stumbling down the garden path in the dark I heard him yell. "WOAH! You have a pool!" He came running toward me, jumping up and down.

"Yeah, you can go in it when it's nice." I smiled at him as he danced around. He grabbed some of the bags from me as I locked the car up and unlocked the house. He ran in first, looking around in all the rooms. He left the bags in the sitting room and collapsed on the sofa. Chucking mine down with his I watched him stretch out. "Want me to show you your room?"

Jumping up the stairs two at a time he looked around on the landing. "Second door along, the one in the middle." He ran in jumped onto the bed. "I'll have to get some sheets and stuff. I haven't used this room in a long time." Nodding he ran back downstairs to get the bags full of stuff while I got the room ready. When he came back up I showed him where he could put his stuff, and where the bathroom was. If you need anything I'll be downstairs in the kitchen. Nodding he looked around his room once more, while his back was turned I took the cookies out of his bag. Spinning around he grabbed my arm.

"Give 'em back!" Shaking my head I walked downstairs with them leaving him to sort his room out.

The room was small but way better then what I had if the orphanage. It smelled like mothballs though. Going though the draws and messily shoving my clothes in I found them. "Aha!" I opened the window and threw them out into the darkness. Leaving the window open I looked around the room once more. This was really my home now. That made me smile, more then I thought I could.

I could smell burnt toast and beans from downstairs. Clomping down the stairs I looked in as Roy tried to take the toast out without burning his hands. Walking in I saw the problem, leaning past him I turned the toasters heat down.

"What does that do?"He asked while I sniggered. "You don't know how to work your own toaster?" Frowning he ignored me and tried to butter the blackened toast. Giving up he poured beans all over it. He set the two plates on the table and motioned for me to sit across from him. I began to scrape the beans off the toast and eat them. He watched with interest. "Do you have to watch me while I eat? It's kinda off putting"

"Ah. Right sorry. I was just wondering where you put it all. You have already eaten so much today." I laughed then, he hadn't been stuck in a cupboard for 2 days. But I didn't tell him that. the smile faded as I ate the food.

"So what are we doing tomorrow." I asked fiddling with the fork. Before now I had never thought of my future. But with Roy now.. He interrupted my thoughts with a hum. "Well I need to get the paperwork for you sorted out. That orphanage didn't do anything so I am going to have to tell them about their lack of care. We will also have to sort out a school and.." The rest I blocked out.

From the word school I stiffed up and dropped my fork, at the clatter he looked up at me. Shaking my head I thought of the last one I went to. "No I can't go to school." My gloved hands clenched and my back tingled.

"Why not?" I was sweating now. Come on Ed calm down I told myself. He is nice, he won't make you. Then I remembered.

"They won't let me." He looked confused. "My track record." I explained. "I have a bad record with schools. I bet not one of them would let me in." I picked up my fork, there was no way I would get in a school I was gonna be okay.

"Can I ask what happened?" I froze up again and this time he noticed right away. "You don't have to tell me." I nodded and picked at my food. I wasn't really hungry any more.

"Could you get me some water please?" Roy's eyes where on me the whole time he got the water.

"Remember this is your house as well, if you want anything help yourself." He told me, while giving me the water. Nodding I sipped it. "Do you want to go in the bath after this? You can use any of the towels and your toothbrush is in one of the bags." I put the drink down and nodded. Anything to get away from talking about school was okay by me. "I'll go fill the bath up then. I'll call you when it's done." He walked off, dumping the rest of his food in the bin and leaving the plate in the sink. I sat on my chair unsure of what to do.

Getting up I walked into his, no our living room. There was a lot of books, I pulled one out at random and saw lots of transmutation circles. So he knows alchemy? That was good, we could talk about that. I looked at the other books at realized most of them where alchemy books. He must be pretty good then. Smiling I flicked through them. I recognized a lot of these books, having taken a lot out in library's before now. Before I knew it I was on the sofa absorbed in a book, and nothing else mattered any more. This was my way of blocking everyone out. No matter where the care system dumped me so long as I had a book I was okay. Something touched my shoulder and I jumped out of my skin, spinning around ready to attack. But it was only Roy looking bewildered.

"Do you like alchemy?" I nodded, holding onto the book still. "Can you do some?"

"Yeah, I would say I am kinda good at it." I could already guess the next question, his eyes showed it. "Would you show me some?" I nodded and he got a pen and paper for me.

"What do you want me to make?" I fingered the paper thinking the the cranes me and my brother used to make for our sister and mother. "Anything you can, I don't know how good you are so..." He smiled encouraging me.

Pulling my hands apart I closed my eyes and thought of what I wanted. Bringing them together in a clap and pressing them down on the paper, blue light filled the room. Roy's eyes grew wide as the paper refolded into a miniature him. It was small but I made sure it was a complete likeness right down to his clothes.

I looked up to see his reaction, his mouth was wide open. He was staring blankly at me. "H- how did you do that!" I clenched up. He picked up the figure and looked at it. I bent my head down and peeped at him through my hair. Was he mad? I couldn't tell. "This is... amazing!" I lifted my head a little. "How do you do it without a circle though?" I bent my head right down again and shook my head.

"I dunno. I just do. Is the bath ready?" I could feel his eyes on me and I felt sorry for him. He just picked me up. Really he knew nothing about me, and I kinda wish it would stay that way. If he knew... I am sure he wouldn't want me any more just like everyone else.

"Yeah, if you go up I will be in there in a sec, there isn't many towels left." With that I ran up the stairs sat down next to the bath.

Calm down Ed. He doesn't know. He doesn't know. He doesn't know. Shaking my head to keep it clear I looked at the bath water. Roy really was so nice, like a farther. Not like my real one... I closed my eyes and tried not to remember. I was here now, with Roy.

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Hope you liked it! Once more thanks sooo much for the faves and reviews! You guys always make me smile! 3


	4. Chapter 4

I felt the bath water, it was nice and warm. Looking around the bathroom I saw condensation on the window and I drew a smiley face on it. Trying to forget about my farther and my past I undressed. Letting my shirt slide of my arms and unbuckling my belt I looked down at myself. I really was skinny wasn't I? I had been that orphanage for a year now. Maybe longer, I lose track of time so easily. Before that I was just shifted from home to care and back again. No one really wanting me too long. Always dumping me whenever they could.

I was always "too troublesome" for them. Their way of saying they couldn't put up with me and my behavior. The last school I went to... They outright hated me. I never wanted to go to another school again, not after that one. It was just too horrible, I could never tell anyone about it. Let alone Roy.

Pulling the towels through the house I paused at the living room door. I looked in again at the paper figurine. It was truly amazing, for his age I was surprised he could even do alchemy at all. But then again what exactly was his age? He wore 11-13 so he must be in that age range right? I wonder when his birthday is...

Walking up the stairs I tried to work out how he had done the transmutation without a circle? Did he have some hidden under his gloves? But that didn't make much sense, why would he do that? I walked into the bathroom and froze. Edward was standing with his back to the door clearly lost in his own thoughts. There was a smiley face drawn on the window and clothes around the room. But that isn't what caught my attention. It was his body. He was skinny, really really skinny. I could see his spine and ribs very clearly though his skin. I didn't realise how thin he was until now. He had scars as well. Small ones over one leg and one arm and a few big ones along his back. I couldn't see the front so I had no idea how many he had. Over twenty from what I could see at least.

But none of this truly shocked me. He had been through the works, but... His arm and leg where not even of flesh and bone. He had automail. He turned around and saw me. I tried to put a poker face on but I just couldn't. How did he lose his limbs?

"Ah!" He grabbed a towel from me and pulled it around him. Trying to cover up his metal limbs. He hid his face under his hair and curled up into a small shaking ball on the floor. When I began to walk over to him, he flinched like I was going to attack him.

"It's okay Edward." I bent down to his level, as he tried to hide his face behind the towel. I tried to think of what to say to him. To be honest I was horrified. I knew he had a bad past with the fire and all but I had no idea about this. Then I felt something touch my hand. Looking away from him and down I saw his automail hand clinging to mine. It was cold against mine, and small. I wrapped both my hands around it and out of the corner of my eye saw him peep up at me. "I didn't know you had automail Edward." He flinched at my words, breathing faster. "But this doesn't change anything. I want you as my son." I looked into his crying eyes. He was shaking and trying to shift away from me.

I reached out but he pulled even further back from me. He eyes full of tears and pain. His eyes where not quite focused on me however, they where on something else that wasn't here. He was remembering something. Still spaced out he slowly shook his head. "It's okay Edward. I am here."

Snapping out of it he yelled. "You don't most of it!" He covered his face with his small mismatched hands. "If you do you won't want me any more!" I pulled him into a hug and he gasped trying to pull away. "You don't understand!" He was yelling now trying to punch me weakly.

"Shhh." I rubbed his back slowly until he was calm one more. "Now are you listing?" He nodded, head leaning on my chest. "No matter what you have been through I want to be able to look after you. I just need to know something first."

"... What?" His voice trembling and his hands fisting on my shirt. "Do you really want me?" Pushing away I looked into his eyes. I needed to know, did he really want another farther. I really didn't want to force myself upon him. "I don't want to replace your lost family or take over anyone you love dearly. If you want I can just be Roy. Not you farther, or uncle or whatever. Just someone who cares for you. Would you like that?"

He smiled nodding. "I.. You could never take over from mom and Winry and Alphonse." I assumed those there the names of his siblings, those I tried so well to save four years ago. "I really do want you to be there though. So.. So please don't leave me like everyone else!" Sobbing into shirt he wrapped his arms around me. I rubbed his back again, in slow circles. "I should tell you. I know I should. But I don't want to." He whimpered into my chest. I clung to his small form, he really did need all that food after all.

"You don't have to tell me anything, unless you really want to. Okay?" Nodding he pulled away and shakily stood up. I kept my arms out worried that he would fall. He really was skin and bone. "I think... I think I should go in the bath now." Nodding I walked out the room leaving him on his own.

"If you need me just yell." He nodded and I walked downstairs. My god, what had he been through? All those scars, the ones on the outside and inside. I recalled what he said to me. "So.. So please don't leave me like everyone else!" Clearly he had been rejected a lot in his life. Lost and alone for all this time. Just like me...

Shivering I sat down on the sofa and remembered what it was like in care. I never really knew my mother, she left me next to the garbage to die after giving birth to me. I realised now that she was not to blame. She clearly would not of been able to take care at me, I knew nothing about her but her actions clearly showed the kind of person she was. As a child I grew up knowing she never wanted me and tried to throw me away with the trash.

I had hell in care over that, the kids making huge fun at me. It was okay after Madame Christmas adopted me, but it still hurt. She was lovely but was never going to be my mother. Edward must be in so much pain knowing his farther left the rest of his family alone. Did his father even know most of them where dead now? If he ever went back he would get one hell of a shock. The photo's I had seen of the place after the fire showed how bad it was. Everything burned down. All that was left was rubble and a burnt tree upon the hill.

His farther had to be found, if he was still alive that was. Sighing I walked over to the phone and called up the fire station.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Maes. I was wondering if it would be okay to take a few days off, maybe more?" I could hear him humming, thinking it over.

"I can't exactly say no as you are owed weeks of time off that you have never taken. But as I friend I would rather you didn't. Are you okay?" It was then I realised he thought I had been in my bed depressed all day.

"Oh! I am fine, I have a lot to tell you but I really have to sort all this stuff out first."

"Really now?" I could hear the sarcasm in his voice. "Roy, whats going on?"

"I... I can't exactly tell you right now. If you can come over tomorrow, maybe on your lunch break I can show you."

"Show me!" He was alarmed now, yelling down the phone. "What have you done this time?" Then there was silence. "You haven't got a girlfriend have you!"

"Wha-? No!"

"Oh. Well you should, and get married and have a cute little kid! They would make you so happy and-"

"I have to go. Come over if you can, okay?" I hung up without waiting for a reply. Maes Hudges was my best friend, but could talk about his wife and daughter all day if you gave him the chance. As my best friend I was sure he would get along with Edward, but I was really unsure of how Edward would react. He seemed so... Inclosed. I knew that feeling and it wasn't good at all.

The bath was really nice, I couldn't remember the last time I had a one. Cleaning myself was easy, trying to get the gritty dirt out of my automail was not.

"This is impossible!" I grumbled giving up, laying back in the warm water. He used to have a whole booklet of how to care for automail a few years ago, but some little shits got hold of it and destroyed it. He tried to remember what it said about cleaning. But honestly he barely read the book, it was so uninteresting. The kind of things he was into was alchemy not mechanics. That was the kind of thing his sister would of loved...

Shaking his head he tried to forget, and washed his face. The cool metal ran over his face, he felt it over. It would be with me forever, a permanent reminder of my mistakes. Everything I had done wrong. Getting out he dried and walked across the landing with the towel tightly wrapped around him.

I didn't want Roy to see me again, and pity me. I got what I deserved when I had these stuck on. I didn't need anyone's pity... But it felt nice that he cared for me. Looking around I quickly realised he was still downstairs. Running unto my room and shutting the door I looked at all the bags. This must of cost so much. He really did care for me.

Going though them I found my new clothes, and pyjama's. Slipping them on I saw the gloves. Fingering them, I realised Roy already knew. I didn't need to wear them in the house. It had been so long since I had gone without gloves and it kinda felt weird.

Coming down the stairs I found Roy in the living room flicking though a book. I coughed and he looked up at me.

"Hi.." I mumbled feeling awkward. Here I was not long after crying on him, with no gloves on and he felt so at ease.

"Hi, want anything to eat?" I perched on the edge of a chair across from him.

"Yeah, I want my cookies back that you stole out of my bag." He frowned and for a moment I thought he might yell at me. But instead he burst out laughing and went into the kitchen.

When he came back he had the cookies and two glasses of... Milk. He set them down in the table and sat down with his glass. He then began to drink the stuff. Urg! Oh god I am gonna gag! I spun my head away from him and grabbed a handful of cookies. Shoving them all in my mouth I closed my eyes and tried not to think of that vomit inducing liquid.

I felt something cold touch my flesh hand. Opening my eyes I saw Roy trying to give me the milk.

"Come on, you can't just eat junk food. Have some milk, it's good for you!" Shaking my head quickly I jumped away from it.

"No way! I am not drinking that cows piss!" Roy frowned.

"You shouldn't use that kind of language Edward. And anyway it isn't cows piss." I shook my head.

"You shouldn't try to make me drink milk!" His eyebrows went up and he walked over to me with the glass.

"Stop it!" I yelled while running into the kitchen. He was grinning at me! "Wipe that grin off you face!" Shaking his head he drank the white stuff in one go. "Oh. My. God." I gasped as he went to the sink and washed the glass.

"So you don't like milk then?" Didn't like? Was he kidding! How could anyone like that vile stuff!

"I despise it! Don't ever try to give it me again!" I sat on the edge of the table and watched him watch me.

"You should drink some it would help you grow." Grow? Grow. GROW!

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT EVERYONE STEPS ON HIM AND THINKS HE IS A BEAN!"

"Woah, hold up I never said that" I scowled at him, I knew that's what he was implying. "I get it though, I won't make you drink the milk." Yes! Victory is sweet, but cookies where sweeter! I ran past him to eat the rest of them before he could stop him.

"Oi, I didn't say you can eat all those!" He ran in already too late. He took the plate away and frowned at me. "What am I gonna do you with you? Go upstairs and clean your teeth!"

"Yes sir!" I said with a mouthful.

So he didn't like milk, and had issues about his height? Now that I thought of it he is rather short. Did he get picked on in the orphanage for it? I washed up the plates from dinner and the cookies. I could hear the floorboards upstairs creak under his weight and it was weird. I was always alone in this home, with the exception of a few one nighter girls. But most of the time they stayed put in my bed. I guess I can't do that anymore with a kid and all... But then again some girls liked men with kids. Maybe this could work for me? Heheh.

After tidying everything downstairs I went up to see Edwards door open. Knocking on it I peeped in. He was half asleep in his bed with the light still on. Turning it off he sighed and turned over.

"Good night Edward."

"G'night Roy..." That night for the first time in years, I went to bed with a real smile.

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Thanks SO much for the reviews and faves! I never thought I would get any. XD

To femalfullmetal6 This fic isn't based around me, but around someone who was brave enough to share their story.


	5. Chapter 5

-Edward's POV-

I awoke to the smell of bacon and the sun trying to shine though my curtain's. Pulling myself out of bed I stretched and went to open them to see out of the window.

Outside it was sunny and kids where running down the road in school clothes. The street I lived on was rather small and seemed to be on the edge of the town. There road was pretty much empty, it was nice.

I walked toward my drawers and began pulling though all my new clothes. As I was getting dressed I heard Roy call me.

"Are you awake yet?" He was yelling from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah! Gimme a sec, gotta get dressed. Are you cooking bacon?" I yelled back.

"Sure am, come down if you want some!" Pulling on my shirt I ran down the stairs two at a time and burst into the kitchen. Roy was glaring at a pan on the oven with spitting bacon on. The heat was on way too high, walking over I turned it down and smirked.

"You really, really suck at cooking." He grimaced and looked at the half burnt, half uncooked bacon. I flopped and the table and watched him prod it in silence for a few minutes. After a while he just gave up and dumped it on two plates and made some toast, somehow without burning it.

Placing the food in front he took his and sat across from me, the same way we where last night. "So, what do you want to do today?" He asked while cutting his food up. "A good friend of mine is coming over at lunch but until then we are free." I nodded and thought it over. Truthfully, I had never had much spare time before. I was always doing chores, or getting into troble for something stupid. Then I remembered.

"I need to do my exercises but that's pretty much it." He looked up with a mouth full of food and I watched him swallow.

"Exercises? Like what?" I looked down at my food and picked at it with the fork.

"Just stuff for my automail... It's nothing really." He nodded like he understood, but he wasn't looking at me any more, I could see his gazing at my arm. Fidgeting under his gaze I crammed the rather badly cooked food down. It was rather okay if you swallowed it in one go. I hope Roy will learn to cook soon before he poisons me.

Finishing my breakfast off first I dumped the plate in the sink and strolled into the living room. The little figure was still on the coffee table. I wonder how Roy felt about me using alchemy? He used a lot in his work, and clearly knew a lot. So he surely wouldn't mind me knowing, even if I learnt it for different reasons...

I heard him walk behind me and hid under my long blonde bangs. "Could you make me something else?" Looking thought my hair I saw him smiling but I shook my head. I knew he would ask about the clapping transmutation and I really, really did not want to talk about that. He looked disappointed and I felt guilt was over me. He had given me a home, clothes and some terrible food. I was going to say something else about alchemy but he already seemed to be thinking about other things "Okay, you want to get some exercise then?" I nodded and we walked outside together.

Our garden was big, something I didn't notice in the dark last night. There was the pool on the very far left with a sun lounger on the side. At the very far end there was a battered looking shed and in a corner there was some heavy looking weights. We walked barefoot together into the middle of the lawn. "So what do you need to do?"

"Um.. Well I have to do leg and arm stretches to help keep the automail going." He nodded and watched me closely as I showed him. After I had done three arm stretches he copied me.

"So you have to do these every day?" I nodded. "What happens if you don't?" I paused and scratched my head. I didn't really like to think about that, I had heard a few story's of people who had not done them and it didn't sound nice.

"Well I can skip them for a few days so long as I am fit. But if I didn't do them for a long time the weight of the automail would just pull down. It wouldn't work properly and if I was really, really unfit it would pull on my skin have to be taken off completely or it could kill me." He looked horrified. "But that only would happen if I was really horribly unfit." I smiled and carried on. Most people really didn't know how much work automail needed, and the pain that comes with it.

"Have you... Always had them?" Looking away I shook my head. "Oh." He seemed to be thinking it over, I could almost hear the cogs turning in his head. Please, please don't ask how I got them.

"... So whats it like with them? " He asked instead, as if he could read my mind. I began on my leg stretches and thought about it.

"They suck. I mean they are awesome for fighting and stuff and they are much tougher then real limbs but you know... I can't even feel anything in them and they always ache slightly. They hurt so much when it rains as well, but you just have to get used to them y'know?"

He really had no idea but nodded anyway. I smiled, a lot of people where freaked out by them. I had never had someone take real interest in them and my well being before now.

"Lets, go in the pool." I looked up to see him walking towards the house. Quickly I ran to join him. "Lets have a swim! Yesterday I said we could go in if it was sunny and now it's brilliant outside!" A vaguely remembered him saying something about the pool yesterday when we first got home. "Go get changed and I will meet you in there."

"Uh.. Okay." I mumbled running into my room. Pulling through my drawers to find my trunks I began to panic. He really knew nothing of automail. I couldn't swim, I would sink right away. I guess I could just hang around in the shallows and tell him I couldn't swim. But then he would try to teach me when I already knew but couldn't.

Sighing I undressed and pulled my trunks on, ran into the bathroom and grabbed a towel and wrapped it around myself self consciously.

Walking outside I saw Roy under the water, swimming like a expert. I walked over to the edge and watched him swim up. "Your a good swimmer." I commented. He smiled and pulled himself out. When I saw him I gasped.

He had big muscles, I had never noticed before as I had only seen him in bulky clothes. He had a six pack, the kind most girls drool all over. But he was covered in scars, just like me. I looked away and heard him walk over to the deeper end. With a splash he jumped under the water. It looked so cooling.

"Coming in?" He yelled bobbing back to the surface. Throwing my towel aside, I slipped into the shallow end. Ah! It was so cold, but it felt so nice in comparison to the hot sun. I looked at Roy in the deeper water, there was no way I could swim out there my automail. No way at all.

"Do you know how to swim then?" I watched him tread water while I was still standing in the shallows.

I shrugged and looked away. "I... I am not sure I can any more.." He laughed at me then and swam over.

"You can't just forget, it's like riding a bike. You never forget!"

"... I haven't ridden a bike."

"Hm. Well that's not the point, the point is you can't forget." He grabbed my hands and began slowly pulling me in deeper. The water began creeping up my neck and I panicked as it reached my chin. He's gonna drown me!

"Stop! I am gonna sink!" He frowned and put his arms underneath mine and tryed to pull me up.

"Try to kick!" He yelled, still unsuccessfully trying to lift me. I kicked hard, knowing full already it would be no use. My automail was just to heavy. "You are so heavy, it must be all that food!" Bastard! I pulled away and punched him making him let go of me. I tried to walk back to the shallows but my foot caught around his and I fell under the water. It was all so blurry and light. I reached out but I was already sinking, my right arm bending me backwards.

Suddenly he was there, arms around me pulling me out of the water. Guiding me, just like four years ago. He pulled me along back into the shallows where I could stand on my own. I choked on the water in my throat and he slapped me on the back. "You okay?" I shook my head, wet hair clinging to my face. Grabbing the edge of the pool I pulled myself out and sat on the edge. Trying to slow my ragged breathing and watched him watch me. "Your automail. How heavy exactly is it?" I blushed and looked away from his onyx eyes.

"How should I know!" He shook his head and took my metal arm. Slowly he rubbed his fingers along it, measuring it out. I pulled it away from him and covered it with my flesh hand.

"It's to heavy for you to swim right?" I nodded still not looking at him. "Why didn't you just say?" I shrugged. I didn't want to tell him about my automail. It's just a reminder of how much I have screwed up. "Well if you had told me sooner I would of gotten this right away." I looked up to see him climbing out of the pool and walking back into the house.

He returned a few minutes later with a huge crocodile float. He threw the thing at me and I almost fell back into the water trying to catch it.

"Woah!" I yelled in surprise at the sheer size of it, it was bigger then me. He grinned driving into the water again. Surfacing he shook the water out of his hair and nodded at the crocodile.

"My friend got that for me but I never wanted it. You can have it if you want." I slowly laid it on the water and began inching myself onto it. I really didn't want to die sinking on a floaty crocodile. I looked over to Roy who pretended he wasn't watching me.

Blushing I pushed myself onto it and waited for it to sink, but somehow it stayed afloat. I kicked the side of the pool and began to float to Roy. "How is it not sinking? Isn't it just cheap rubber?"

"Ah, I may of made it a bit stronger then that. Just in case you did sink." He pushed the crocodile away as I clung to it.

"Don't do that! If I slip I will- AHH!" He had splashed me and watched me float across to the deeper part of the pool. "Get me out of the deep end!" I yelled at his smug face. Man I wanted to wack him so much right now.

"No! Float over here, all you have to do it kick your legs!" I looked down at my legs either side of the crocodile and began to kick. I looked so stupid but he was right, it was working. As soon I was close to him I splashed his stupid face.

"Jerk!" I yelled kicking water at him as well. He swam backwards easily laughing. "Get back here coward!"

"Coward? Bahaha!" He sat on the edge of the pool and watched me kick my way across to him.

"I hope you know I hate you." He shook his head. "No you don't."

Grimacing I knew he was right. I tried to splash him again but missed, I pushed myself closer to the edge and tryed again. But this time I over balanced and slipped. I watched the water come closer to my face and closed my eyes tight getting ready to sink into it. But I felt nothing, opening my eyes looked down to see Roy's arms around my waist trying to pull me onto the side. Kicking away from the water we both fell over onto the pool side. We lay there, me on top of him for a moment until I jumped up.

"Ah... Sorry." I looked away from hum until I felt his hand on my shoulder. I looked at him and saw he looked... Happy.

"Don't apologize, you did nothing wrong." I nodded and watched him lay on the sun lounger. "Get back in if you want, I won't let you drown." Looking back at the crocodile float on the side I grinned.

It had been years since I was able to go in such a large amount of water without having to worry about drowning and just like that Roy had fixed it. I could swim and if I fell he would be there. It... Was more then anyone had done for me in years.

Stupidly I felt my eyes begin to water, I rubbed them fierily with my arm jumped onto the crocodile once more.

We passed the morning in this fashion swimming, sleeping, eating. I was laying along the crocodile with my limbs hanging over the side in the water when I first met Hudges. At the time Roy was asking if we bought any suncream the day before, to which I replied with a grunted no. I had already used all my energy on kicking. I didn't want to talk, but he still kept of blabbering.

That's how I noticed someone else was in the garden, he had finally shut up. I looked up and saw a man, with a messy beard and glasses. He was dressed in what I guess was the fire station's uniform and was staring at me.

"Hudges!" Roy heaved himself off the sun lounger and walked over to his best friend. "I would like you to meet Edward. My..." He looked over at me awkwardly and I shrugged. "My adopted... son. Edward, this is Maes Hudges, my best friend."

The man, Hudges looked between Roy and me for a moment then slapped Roy on the back. "About time as well! Now all you need is a cute little wife!" Roy sighed and shook his head.

"Ignore him Edward he is always like this." Weakly nodding I kicked my legs and began to float over the the pool side.

"I am glad to see someone likes my crocodile!" I looked his grinning face to Roys exasperated one. "I bought that for Roy months ago and he just shoved it in a closet! Honestly!" I smiled nervously in reply and began to look around for my towel. I didn't want to explain my automail to a stranger when roy didn't even know everything about it yet. He saw me looking and ran to get it for me.

Taking it from him I tryed to cover myself as best as I could. "You better go get dressed Edward." Roy suggested. Nodding I ran into the house.

-Roys POV-

I watched Ed walk into the house with the towel wrapped tightly around him, but not tightly enough. I heard Maes let out a lot whistle. "Those are some nice prosthetics he as there." I sighed and nodded.

"Please don't mention them to him, he is pretty sensitive about them." He nodded as we walked into the kitchen. Sitting across on the table he looked me over.

"You look happy Roy." I tried to say otherwise but he cut me off. "I mean it. Who is he?"

"Remember the fire four years ago?" I watched Maes sigh, of course he knew, everyone knew. That fire was horrific, and everyone knew what I did to me.

"Yeah. I do."

"Edward was the only survivor."

"What! One of the siblings?" I nodded. "When did you adopt him?" Good question, since I hadn't filled out any forms he wasn't legally mine. I plan to sort that out soon however.

"Yesterday." I looked up as the floorboards creaked. "Anyway he should be down soon. Please don't smother him in photo's of your daughter."

He smirked. "I can't promise anything, you should know that by now." He reached into his pockets and fished out a handful of photo's. "Look these are all new! She looks so cute in this one! And here she has her new dress on! But this is the best so far! She looks so adorable with her mommy!"

I mentally slapped myself for starting him off. I tryed to pull them away from him but he just got more out of his pockets. I heard a small cough and turned to see Edward by the door looking bemused.

"Edward! That was your name right? Come look at these photos of my lovely daughter Elicia! Isn't she just the cutest?" Edward walked over slowly and looked at the stupid photo's.

"... She's lovely." He was smiling at the photo's but his eyes seemed to unfocused. Rubbing his eyes quickly he gave the photo's back. "How old is she?"

"Two! In the winter she will be three! We are going to have just the best party ever for her!" I watched Edward nod but something seemed wrong.

"You want something to eat Edward?" He looked over to me and slowly nodded again. Getting up I opened the fridge and watched him look at more photo's of Elicia. Pulling out some chilled pasta I dumped it on the counter and looked for a clean plate. "You want some Maes?"

"Well since you dragged me over here in my only lunch break, sure." I piled the pasta onto three plates and took them over to the table. Edward took his and sat on the counter while me and Maes stayed at the table.

"So Ed, I can call you that right?" Hudges asked Edward, he jumped at the words and stared at his pasta. "I won't if you don't want me to-"

"No." His gloved hand clenched the fork. "I like it. No one has called me Ed in years..." Years? Was he called Ed by is family then? I wondered if it was really okay for other people to call him that.

"Okay, well Ed, what do you like to do?" Eating my pasta I saw Ed shift on the counter under Maes glare. He twiddled the fork thinking about it.

"I like alchemy..." Maes nodded. "Anything else?" He prompted. Ed picked at his pasta frowning.

"I guess I like fighting as well." Maes smiled. "Seems like you found the perfect farther." I shot him a look and Ed froze up. I still knew very little of his family, and last night he made it rather clear he wasn't ready to talk about it yet. Edward slid of the counter and left the room in silence.

I turned to glare and Maes who got up. "Sorry about that. I didn't realise..."

"Yeah, well just don't mention anything like that to him again. As I said before he is very sensitive over it." He nodded and looked at his watch.

"I best be going, tell Ed I am sorry, I really didn't mean to upset him. Perhaps next time he could come over my house and see Elicia!"

"I will ask him about it, don't tell the guys at work about this yet okay?" Nodding he left and I walked upstairs to see to Edward.

-Edward's POV-

I was curled up on my bed shivering, arms around my legs. I remembered doing this before, in the fire. It is such a stupid thing to do. Back then I could of tried getting to Winry or Getting Alphonse out. But instead I curled up and cried. After all these years I you would think I would of learnt from my mistakes, after all I could of saved their lives is I wasn't curled up. But no, here I am once more on my bed crying.

It wasn't his fault. I knew that, he had no idea. But It hurt so much. It felt like a hole in my stomach. It took me everything to keep myself together. My automail leg dug into my legs, hurting me. Just another reminder of my stupidness.

I closed my eyes, it was dark and I could remember it all. The fire, his screaming, his death. It was all my fault, I sat and did nothing. Then I did all those stupid things after he died. If he was here he would be ashamed.

I heard a door somewhere in the house shut and wondered if Hudges had left to go back to his lovely family. I shivered thinking of the photo's he showed me. They reminded me so much on Win. Elicia looked nothing like to her, but her happy face...

I gripped my knee's, the pain rippling though me again. I remembered her sweet face, even when she was angry she looked amazing. She was the best sister I could of asked for but now she is gone forever.

I waited for the pain in the pit of my stomach to slow before opening my eyes again. I hear someone knocking on my door. How long had they been there?

"Edward?" It was Roy, he sounded worried. "Can I come in?" I tried to reply, but my throat was in knots from thinking about Al, Win and dad. I coughed instead and he slowly opened the door. Buring my face into the bed I felt him sit next to me.

He put a hand on my shoulder and simply said. "Hudges didn't know."

I nodded, sobbing into the pillow. Gently he rubbed his hand up and down my back. It felt nice but made the hole in my stomach ache even worse. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I sat up and rubbed my sore eyes, my whole body was shaking. I nodded then shook my head. I didn't know what I wanted any more. He put his hand on my shoulder again and I leaned into him.

He didn't respond for a few seconds. Had I upset it? Maybe I should back away? But then as if reading my mind he put his arms around me and held me. We sat like this together on the bed for a few minutes before I pulled away.

Sitting myself next to him on the bed I nodded again.

"Yes?" He asked uncertainly, not knowing what I was nodding at.

"I guess I might talk about it..." I chocked out, my voice hoarse from crying so much.

"Okay... What do you want to talk about?" He asked apprehensively. "Your dad?" I stiffened up at that word but nodded. "He left you when you and your mother when you where still very young didn't he?" My fists clenched the bed thinking about him leaving us. If he is still alive and out there, I would love to punch him so hard. I could still remember the look on his face when the three of us got up to go to the bathroom that morning.

"Yeah. He just... Left us." Roy nodded. "Mom waited for him... She died waiting for him. He hasn't been seen once since leaving us. Not even after the fire." I looked at my fisted hands, wishing so hard I could hit him. It's his fault mom died and me, Win and Al alone.

"So after she died, you kids where left alone?" I nodded. "Who looked after you?"

"People from the village, everyone knew us... So they helped us out. They were really nice but they weren't mom." I pulled the blanket up from behind me and wrapped myself slowly in it. It was still really hot, but I liked the feeling of it around me.

"Have you visited her grave?" I bit my lip. I had a few years ago after the fire. It wasn't something I liked to remember.

"Yeah... Once." He looked at me sharply then.

"Only once since the fire?" I nodded. "Didn't they let you visit her grave?" Shifting from side to side on the bed I shook my head and nodded at the same time.

"I- I screwed up once. They said I couldn't-" I shivered clutching my stomach, tears forming in my eyes again. I closed them and tried to forget the faces of those who pulled my away from the graves.

"Would you like to visit her again?" My eyes snapped open and I stared at Roy's calm face.

"Yes. So much. When?" He delved into his pocket and brought out a silver pocket watch. Opening it he hummed.

"Maybe not today, I have to sort out some papers but I will try to go soon. Is that okay?" He looked truly apologetic but he didn't realise that another day was better then nothing. Until now I thought I would never see their graved again.

Nodding I smiled and got up. "Thanks Roy."

"For what?"

"For.." I shook my head trying to think of all the things he had done and promised me. He had given me so much, a future. "For everything."

* * *

I am so sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I really hope you like it! Also Annon I can not thank you enough for your review. Ever time I felt like deleting this stupid chapter I read your review and smiled. You are so epic and I love parental Roy as much as you!


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